How to descale a Mamod steam engine in seven steps

Over time scale and hard water deposits can build up in the boiler of a Mamod or Wilesco engine and cause problems. Follow this simple guide to get your steam engine back to tip-top condition.

Before starting, you’ll need a large syringe and plastic tubing (that fits onto the end of the syringe). You can find these on eBay for a couple pounds, search for “large plastic hydroponics syringe”, and they often come with the corresponding tubing as well.

Once you’ve got these follow these seven steps.

Take some vinegar and mix into water;

Fill the boiler to the normal level with the diluted vinegar-water mix;

Leave it for about 40 minutes;

Get a large syringe and bit of flexible plastic tubing, attach the tube to the syringe and push the pipe into the boiler and suck out the water and limescale that’s now come loss;

If the whistle and/or safety valve are caked in limescale, soak them in the vinegar solution for a few minutes (not longer) and then wash them clean.

Now rinse out the boiler three or four times, and

Finish by wiping off any of the diluted mix you might have spilt from the outside of the pipes, cylinder and boiler.

That’s it.

It’s very important not to leave the diluted water mix in the boiler for too long, 40 minutes at best, and to wipe off any spillage. The vinegar will corrode the metal if left for too long.

If the limescale build up is particularly heavy, you might need to repeat this several times.